On January 6th, members of the Belmont Hill Orchestra once again participated in the coveted North East Senior District Orchestra. With an elite selection of artists from all over New England, making The North East Senior District Orchestra is truly an incredible accomplishment. After two rounds of auditions, five Belmont Hill boys were chosen: Ernest Lai ’25, Ryan Chang-Wu ’27, Harry Liu ’27, Jaiden Lee ’26, and Wesley Zhu ’25. On January 3rd and 5th, these five artists traveled to Lexington High School for two four-hour rehearsals. Then, on January 6th, they performed with over one hundred students, playing beautiful renditions of Slavonic Dance in C Major, Op. 46, No. 1 by Antonio Dvorak, and “Polovtsian Dances” from “Prince Igor” by Alexander Borodin.
The event was a resounding success, conductor George Ogata said just before the Orchestra began, “I haven’t conducted young adults in 10 years, and on Wednesday I found out something: I missed it so much. These are great, great kids. I am so proud of them, and I know that you will be proud of them as well.” Four-time District Orchestra participant Jaiden Lee ’26 commented on this year’s performance saying, “Overall, it was a great experience for some of the younger musicians to gain some Districts experience as well, and the repertoire was enjoyable to perform from the perspective of the musicians; Mr. Ogata brought a lot of energy to rehearsals and the performance as well.”
The district orchestra allowed Belmont Hill to showcase some exceptional musicians who deserve recognition. Not only did they rehearse, travel, and perform for over twelve hours, but they did so during a regular week of school, balancing school and varsity sports. These boys truly encapsulate hard work, dedication, and a love for the arts, The Panel congratulates them and wishes them luck as they move on to the All-State Orchestra next.
